4. Funding boomed

HolonIQ lists 32 edtech “unicorns” as of November, which raised more than $21 billion in funding over the past decade. Class, which offers tools to make Zoom meetings more education-friendly, drew celebrity investments and a $105 million Series B funding round in July. The Zoom competitor InSpace in June announced $6 million in seed funding. InSpace is focusing on online meeting design, adding audio features and breakout rooms intended to immerse students.

The online course provider Emeritus, which in August announced a $650 million funding round, told EdScoop the investment would help build out direct-to-business education offerings. Emeritus historically targeted consumers, but company leaders said working with employers can align its offerings with business needs.